By Tony Iwuoma
Beauty, brain and brawn. That is the apt description of Tioluwani Comfort Tioluwani. And, of course, divine grace, which is the major elixir for this daughter of Rev. Paul & Mrs. Favour Tioluwani (Lesekese) of Bibleway Christian Church International (BCCI).
Frustrated by her elongated stay at the University of Abuja where she got her first degree in Law due to incessant strikes, the young lady decided to pursue her post graduate studies in the United Kingdom. So, off to the University of Wales she went. Today, she has not only triumphed in her quest but also passed her LLM with distinction and as the best graduating student in Law. She was rewarded for the two feats with awards that were presented to her last week. Basking in the aura of this success story, the cerebral lady had nothing but praise for God to whom she attributed her success. She also lauded her parents and offered success tips to other aspiring youth.
A scion of popular clerics, one would naturally expect that her upbringing influenced her a great deal. She confirmed this, saying it injected a lot of Christian virtues and sound morals into her life. And as the eldest in a family of four, Comfort had to live a life that her siblings would be able to look up to academically, spiritually and socially. Her family is also into charity and owns an orphanage, which has been in existence for years. Therefore, aside from her blood-related siblings, she also has other siblings, who are from this orphanage, which houses about 100 children. This has also influenced her way of life hugely, to be considerate in her interaction with others. Comfort confessed too that her parents had always involved themselves in everything she did. They showed her that prayer and hard work were the answer to everything.
Perhaps, her parents, especially her lawyer-mother talked her into studying Law too? Ah no, she countered. Hers was a childhood passion that never waned until she accomplished it. She recalled deciding to study law right from when she was in primary school. She had participated in a play, called ‘The Incorruptible Judge’. She remembered putting on her mum’s wig and a black gown for her role, and right there and then, she fell in love with the course and decided that she wanted to study Law.
Comfort got her first degree in Nigeria, University of Abuja, and graduated with a second class. She did not quite enjoy her stay at UNIABUJA. In the first instance, she stayed longer than expected in the university, not because of her academic status but because of strikes and this, to some extent, affected her belief in the Nigerian education system. So, she opted for the UK for her postgraduate studies.
Asked what was responsible for her feat, Comfort said she didn’t consider herself a bookworm, though she’s quite studious. Rather she attributed her success to the Lord Jesus Christ. In her words, nobody receives anything on earth except it is given to him from heaven. In all fairness, according to her, she never expected that she would graduate with a distinction, let alone as the best student.
Quoting Romans 9:16, she explained: “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”
Could she just be making out, as a pastor’s child? Not really, she reiterated. “I cannot claim that I read a lot but I can claim that I prayed a lot to achieve this. Thus I attribute this success to Jesus, who is the lifter of my Head. The prayers of my parents also went a long way to make this happen.” She emphatically added that the awards symbolised the fact that Jesus still answered prayers.
Well, considering that a lot of people are sceptical about miracles, how easy is it for Jesus to still work miracles in our present age, with all its challenges and distractions? Comfort replied that the greatest miracle a person could present is a testimony. “We are in a democracy and people are free to say whatever they want about miracles. But Christianity without miracle is incomplete Christianity, because everything about Christ is a miracle. Even the birth of Christ was a miracle and His departure to heaven in rocket-styled manner was also an unprecedented miracle. I grew up in a family and ministry where miracles were the order of the day. I have witnessed mega miracles that cannot be measured and quantified. Thus I believe in miracles and my emergence, as the best student in Law is a proof that miracles still happen and cannot be disputed,” she said.
The young lady revealed that she did not really do anything differently to achieve the feat except, perhaps, putting God first and making Him her best friend. Actually, she had time for extra-curricular activities. She was a volunteer student in a charity under the auspices of her church and also a member of the Afro-Caribbean society and the Chinese society, amongst others.
But did she face any challenges at all? She was quick to reply that challenges were normal and she faced hers too. For instance, she was the youngest in class and her arrival in school was rushed; so, settling down was a bit difficult.
Everybody reacts to change and she wasn’t an exception. Switching from the Nigerian-styled curriculum and teaching to that of the United Kingdom wasn’t easy at first and this generated some degree of fear in her. However, in it all, she gave the Lord the glory for overcoming and turning the challenges to a success story.
Having come this far, and with LLM now in her kitty, Comfort has stressed her interest in research. She hopes to pursue a doctorate in Law in the UK or in the US. She also sees herself working in an international organisation.
Comfort sees her accomplishment as an opportunity or a platform to encourage upcoming students to be goal-driven, passionate and focused. She advised them to put God first in all they do.
Quoting Mattew 6:33, she urged the youths to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”